Oriental Rugs Dictionary
Bird Oushak
Bird Oushak refers to a group of Anatolian carpets from the Oushak region of western Turkey that feature distinctive motifs resembling stylized birds.
These carpets date primarily from the 16th and 17th centuries and are among the early examples of Ottoman carpet production exported to Europe.
Bird Oushak rugs typically display large geometric patterns arranged within repeating medallion or lattice layouts. The stylized “bird” forms are created through angular geometric elements rather than naturalistic imagery. Their common design feature is a repeated arrangement of leaves or birds radiating from a blossom on a white field. The earliest known representation is in a rug painting by Hans Mielich done in 1557. These rugs usually have lines of reversing wefts or lazy lines on the back.
The design was so popular with Western market that it was often copied into European carpets in Spain or Donegal.
